Tuesday, March 11, 2008

It's a Knitter's Prerogative to Change His Mind

Have you ever started a project that absolutely should have worked, and then didn't? It just happened to me with the lacy Elizabeth Zimmermann baby sweater I'd started for Abigail, from the February chapter of Knitter's Almanac.

It wasn't the fault of the pattern. The pattern is delicious, classic Elizabeth. It starts out odd, turns strange and grows positively bizarre before what's coming off the needles finally reveals itself to be cleverly constructed and beguiling.

Neither was it the fault of the yarn: Jo Sharp DK left over from my Seneca Sweater and left over again from Abigail's Dragonfly Kimono. Susan loved the fabric in the latter, so I felt another little bijou in the same yarn would be a surefire hit. It's soft, lightweight, and firmly spun–it ought to show off simple lace to perfection.

In theory, perfect. In practice, more like a blind date where the two parties seem like a perfect match because they both love opera; but then one of them turns out to be a die-hard Wagnerian and the other one has a thing for Rossini and even before the salads arrive the waitstaff have to wrestle the butter knives away from them.*

So I frogged it just after I finished half an arm, rewound the yarn and let it sit. And then one morning, I woke up with an unaccountable urge to knit a sweater with cut steeks. Aside from a brief lesson on a swatch at Knitting Camp two years ago, I haven't climbed that hill.

By the time I got out of bed I'd decided that if Abigail could talk, she'd ask politely for a traditional Norwegian pullover, and by happy chance traditional Norwegian pullovers have steeked armholes. How could I say no?

So I picked up some coordinating yarn (Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light) at Arcadia Knitting and set off, with Elizabeth and Meg Swansen (via the Knitting Aroundbook and video) as my sherpas.

It was extremely pleasant to zoom around the lower body, using both colors to create the tradition "lus" (lice) dotted pattern,

meanwhile daydreaming about what to put on the chest and shoulders. I've finished it now, and for a first attempt I think it will suit. The fabric is very slightly puckery, but I took care to strand the floats loosely across the back of the work and expect that a good wet blocking will smooth everything out.

Beautiful! I really love dark backgrounds and light contrasting colours when it comes to the colourwork. I am almost done my first colourwork project, but I'm not brave enough to tackle steeks quite yet. Maybe a baby sweater is the perfect starting point for that - a small cut won't hurt as much, right?

Uff da! I'm glad you didn't use actual Norwegian wool to make the sweater. Perfect for fair isle and steeking...but dang, that stuff is course. If I were a little kiddo I think I'd rather have alpaca than spaelsau against my skin.

i find it a bit eerie how similar some of our knitting is. light blue aran braid was ain november/ brown/cream baby lusekofte this summer. and a blue one too. they were both smashing hits with the young mothers. the blue one has hardly been off the young boy and the brown was brought by it's one year old owner to day care. i guess it smelled like home.

My very first swester had steeks. (Talk about diving into the deep end of the pool!) I've never regretted it...in fact, all of my favorite sweaters have had steeks. When the time comes, if you need someone for moral support or to grab hold of the scissors or poor a stiff drink...call me...I'd be MORE THAN happy to have a "valid reason" to venture south! (Plus, I have a baby sweater that could be used for demo...it hasn't a home, but needs its steeks cut.)

I look forward to finding out how your steeks go. I am working on a Dale sweater for my baby and I am terrified of that part -- haven't quite let myself get there yet, even though I WAS zooming through it.

Yeah I have started that same sweater four times and ripped it out each and every time. I don't know why I can't make it turn out,but for now I am moving on. I have seen it and it is darling, but your sweater far surpasses it. Lucky little girl.

See now - that's why I describe you as "awe-inspiring". I derive a GREAT DEAL of satisfaction from plodding along on something stockinette and thinking "How cool is this? *I* am a knitter, and Franklin is a knitter; we are both knitters." Does my soul good - nevermind I am a toy piano to your Wagner (or Rossini - either image works).

Good work! I can attest to the puckering vanishing after a good long soak. My steeked jacket that I just finished was awfully puckery. It sat in the bath for about 40 minutes and blocked up a treat. If your floats are as you describe them, you'll do great!

When I needed to take the plunge and cut the steeks in my husband's Dale of Norway moose sweater, a kind friend offered to help. We set up at her house on a large work table, good lighting, and a few cats looking on. Then, for the important parts: snacks and wine. Made all the difference.

OMG, Franklin, I love what you said, about why you knit. Only another knitter (or maybe a crocheter, or crafters in general) knows about the adrenaline rush! :-) The next time someone asks me why I knit, I think I'm going to say, "I'm addicted to the adrenaline rush." Hee! It will be the truth, but they probably won't believe me...:-)

That February baby pattern stopped me in my tracks too! I have the perfect yarn (Sundara, seaweed over something), the perfect baby in mind (redhead girl) but am confused by EZ's directions, after the yoke when she says to "work back and forth on the next 28 sts plus 7 cast on at each end for 4" and repeat for other sleeve" but I think I'm going to take the leap of faith and just cast on & try. I just finished the child's placket sweater & I'm thinking this is a similar construction, but in reverse.

I feel your pain regarding the frogging - I've frogged 2 different sweaters recently, one was finished except for button bands, the other barely begun. I'm wondering if the knitting gods are telling me to knit only socks and shawls... The colorwork looks lovely. I've only dabbled with steeks - I knit a doll sweater as a practice piece and it turned out beautifully, but I'm still nervous about coming at my knitting with scissors!

I can feel the adrenaline the moment I have scissors in my hand and start to cut steeks. (or is that heart failure?) And the relief that washes over me when it's done AND it worked, is a rush of it's own.

Yes, the opera anecdote hit home in a big way, except for my husband and I it was 80s Alternapop vs. Prog Rock, and I completely won that skirmish...in any case, nice recovery and the Norwegian sweater is a winner!

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